A guide to this season's best ski holidays, from luxury accommodation in
hotels and chalets to self-catering in budget apartments

Unless otherwise stated, prices are per person, based on two people sharing a double or twin room half board, and include flights and transfers

Budget chalets

Jasmine in Les Menuires, France A more affordable neighbour of Méribel and Courchevel, Les Menuires is one of the lesser-known resorts that help make up the 600km Trois Vallées ski area. Jasmine is one of a complex of four chalets run by Ski Amis in the quiet satellite village of Le Bettaix, between Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville. It sleeps eight to 10 and has a hot tub and sauna. From £299, not including travel. Ski Amis runs its own private transfer service, from £80 per person return from Geneva.skiamis.com

Salana in Baqueira Beret, Spain Located in the Pyrenees, Baqueira Beret is Spain’s smartest and best resort, and has some great restaurants, such as the 5J Grill and Hotel Montarto. The ski area has a reliable snow record and 115km of pistes, best suited to strong intermediates. The cosy three-star Salana sleeps 28 and is only a five-minute walk from the main lift. It’s owned by Ski Miquel, which specialises in good-value holidays that include comprehensive guiding and fine food. From £482. skimiquelholidays.co.uk

Caribou in Courchevel Moriond, France Part of the Trois Vallées ski area, Courchevel is made up of four villages at different altitudes. The main one, and highest of the four, Courchevel at 1850m, has a glitzy image. Moriond (1650) feels more French and down to earth. Its own local slopes are ideal for beginners and link into the rest of the ski area, which has terrain for all standards. Tour operator Le Ski provides catered chalet holidays focused on value and quality service – Caribou in Moriond is a cosy chalet for six people with a wood-burning stove and steam room. From £619. leski.com

Tirolerhaus in St Anton, Austria With a traditional village and lively après, St Anton is one of the world’s top resorts. It’s at the heart of the Arlberg ski region, also home to resorts including upmarket Lech. St Anton offers 12okm of pistes served by 38 lifts, and the slopes best suit strong intermediates and experts. Staying there can be pricey, but Crystal Ski offers an affordable alternative in the satellite hamlet of Nasserein – the bright and airy Tirolerhaus. It sleeps up to 32 and is just three minutes’ walk from the Nasserein gondola. From £755. crystalski.co.uk

Luxury chalets

Le Chardon in Val d’Isère, France Sharing 300km of runs with Tignes, Val d’Isère is best suited to intermediates and experts. It has more than its fair share of sumptuous chalets catering for those who prize a hedonistic level of comfort and six-star cuisine. Le Chardon Mountain Lodges is a boutique outfit offering bespoke holidays to five traditionally designed, ski-in/ski-out properties. The signature chalet, Le Chardon, which sleeps 20 in 10 en-suite rooms, boasts two hot tubs and a sauna, as well as some of the best views in the resort. From £995, not including travel. lechardonvaldisere.com

Le Ti in Verbier, Switzerland, represents the ideal of rustic charm

Le Ti in Verbier, Switzerland Verbier has some of the most challenging off piste in the Alps, as well as an array of frightening black runs, but it does have some more benign terrain. The resort also has a large number of exquisite private homes, but few are available to rent. However, CK Verbier – a luxury chalet specialist in the resort – runs Le Ti, which combines the Swiss chalet ideal of rustic charm with every modern convenience one could possibly wish for. It’s ideally situated for both the town centre and the main Médran gondola and has spectacular views. Sleeps six plus three children. From £2,211. ckverbier.com

Budget hotels

Hotel Xalet Verdu in Arinsal, Andorra Best suited to beginners and wobbly intermediates, Arinsal is linked to Pal and the little valley town of Massana, which both offer more of a challenge. All three are part of the Vallnord ski area that also includes the separate slopes of Ordino-Arcalis. Andorra expert Andorra-Resorts.com offers trips to the three-star Hotel Xalet Verdu, 300m from Arinsal’s one gondola. The hotel offers great-value comfort – all rooms are en suite with flat screen satellite TVs. From £242 per double or twin room b&b, not including travel. Shared airport transfers from £63 per person.andorra-resorts.com

Hotel Renardière in Morzine, France The hub of the extensive Portes du Soleil area, Morzine is a bustling mountain town with a life off the pistes – and all the better for it. The ski area has 196 lifts serving 650km of pistes accessed from a dozen resorts on either side of the French-Swiss border, while Morzine itself has an excellent ice rink, two cinemas and access to plenty of pretty walks. Alpine Elements offers packages to the three-star Hotel Renardière, a friendly and convenient base well positioned for both town and ski area. From £674.alpineelements.co.uk

Mid-range hotels

Sporthotel Sertorelli in Cervinia, Italy At the foot of Il Cervino – better known as the Matterhorn – Cervinia is Italy’s most snowsure resort. With the village at 2,050m and the top of the ski area reaching 3,899m, good snow cover is guaranteed throughout the season. Cervinia is also linked to Zermatt in Switzerland and its 200km of pistes. By staying in less pricey Italy you can more affordably explore the same ski area as people staying on the Swiss side. Inghams runs packages to the four-star Sporthotel Sertorelli, a comfortable hotel renowned locally for its cuisine with its own spa and pool. It’s a short walk from the main lift. From £839. inghams.co.uk

Ischgl, Austria, at dusk

Chalet-hotel Abendrot in Ischgl, Austria Despite being hugely popular with German tourists, Ischgl remains largely undiscovered by the British. Its 238km of pistes served by 44 lifts are linked to Samnaun in Switzerland and best suit intermediates who want to feel that they’ve gone somewhere each day before returning for energetic nightlife. Built for Ski Total as its first chalet-hotel in Ischgl, the four-star Abendrot is both cosy and contemporary, with fine half-board cuisine. From £549. skitotal.com

Luxury hotels

Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano, Italy The small village of San Cassiano in the Dolomites is part of the Alta Badia ski area, offering 130km of pistes accessed by 53 lifts. In the centre of the resort is the Rosa Alpina, a five-star hotel with a two Michelin-starred restaurant presided over by celebrity chef Norbert Niederkofler. The hotel’s success is undoubtedly down to being family-run; owner Hugo Pizzinini is also the manager and, together with his wife Ursula, is on hand to cater for guests’ every whim. Luxury holiday specialist Powder Byrne emphasises the hotel’s discreet, quality service and excellent facilities, which include a spa with massages and treatments, pool, sauna and solarium. From £2,327, b&b.powderbyrne.com

Fairmont Chateau Whistler in Whistler, Canada Still the most popular resort for Brits in North America – and with good reason – Whistler has an extraordinary variety of terrain to suit everyone. The ski area spreads across twin peaks of 2,200m linked both at base and at altitude by gondola. Ski Independence offers holidays to the five-star Fairmont Chateau Whistler, right on the edge of the piste, with spa facilities and a wide selection of restaurants. Stay in the Fairmont Gold hotel-within-a-hotel, which has its own concierge and private lounge serving breakfast and cocktail canapés, for an added level of service. From £2,252, b&b. ski-i.com

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is one of the resort's top hotels

Budget self catering

Résidence Christiania in Alpe d’Huez, France Alpe d’Huez’s 250km of slopes link to a number of outlying villages, and have runs to suit all standards. The resort also has a small, well-developed glacier so snow cover here is guaranteed throughout the season. The ski area has dedicated beginner slopes as well as some truly tough black runs, and is good value for a reasonably well-known French resort. Powderbeds offers apartments in Résidence Christiania at the Les Bergers end of town, 150 metres from the pistes and main lifts. Studios, which sleep two, are simple and small, but are a cheap and convenient self-catering base. From £298 for the whole apartment, not including travel. powderbeds.com

Cami Real in St Lary, France An old traditional village in the Pyrenees, St Lary has been transformed into a modern ski resort in recent years, with 100km of mainly intermediate pistes. It still retains the atmosphere of rural France though, with prices to match. Smack bang in the middle of the village, the Cami Real has three stars, is modern and offers good quality apartments and a heated indoor pool. From £131 self-drive based on four sharing a self-catering studio apartment and including Eurotunnel crossings, with Pyrenees Collection.pyreneescollection.co.uk

Mid-range self catering

Intrawest in Arc 1950, France The Paradiski area, created by a lift link between Les Arcs and La Plagne, offers 425km of largely blue and red runs. Arc 1950 is a great base to explore the area. It was built 10 years ago and is undoubtedly the most attractive of the four Les Arcs villages. Charming and car-free, it’s made up of eight ski-in/ski-out apartment residences built in Savoyard style, but with the colourful overtones of Tremblant and other North American resorts created by the same developer. All guests have free use of the spa facilities, including saunas, hot tubs and outdoor pools. From £1,333 for a one bed apartment that sleeps four, including Eurotunnel crossings, with Erna Low.ernalow.co.uk

Arc 1950 is a great base to explore the Paradiski area

Résidence Les Grand Alpes in La Clusaz, France Charm and reasonable prices make this cheese-making village, an hour’s drive from Geneva airport, very popular with French families. La Clusaz’s 132km of pistes suit all standards and the lift pass also covers the nearby Le Grand Bornand ski area, reached by free shuttle bus. The new four-star Les Grand Alpes apartments are a short walk from the village centre and 400m from the lifts. They also boast incredible views, plus a spa with indoor pool, hot tub and sauna. From £1,234 self-drive for a one bed apartment sleeping four, including Eurotunnel crossings, with Peak Retreats. peakretreats.co.uk

Luxury self catering

Chalet Heidi in Zermatt, Switzerland With its views of the mighty Matterhorn,Zermattis one of the few resorts where long-suffering non-skiing or snowboarding partners can enjoy themselves while their mates are hammering down the mountain. The ski area is linked to that of Cervinia in Italy giving a total of 350km of pistes served by 59 lifts. The newly refurbished Chalet Heidi, near the church, is the perfect blend of traditional wood and high-tech contemporary. It sleeps six. From £507, not including travel, with Mountain Exposure.mountainexposure.com

Mountain Haus in Vail, USA One of the world’s most lavish resorts, Vail has a seemingly unlimited budget for constantly improving its accommodation options and 31-lift ski area. The slopes on the front face, above the resort, are as sleek and immaculately groomed as its visitors, while on the other side of the mountain, the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin appeal to powderhounds. Ski Safari offers holidays to the four-star Mountain Haus in Vail Village, which has a choice of richly-furnished condos. Guests have access to an outdoor pool, hot tubs, a sauna, steam room and gym. From £1,950 based on four adults sharing a studio.skisafari.com

Short breaks

Les Aiglons in Chamonix, France A transfer time of less than 60 minutes from Geneva airport makesChamonix a convenient resort for weekenders. However, to the uninitiated, the resort can be confusing as it has lots of separate ski areas scattered along a 10km valley road. It best suits experienced skiers and snowboarders who already know where to go for what they want, or those prepared to do some research in advance. Igoski offers mini-breaks to the four-star Les Aiglons, a contemporary hotel in the middle of town with a pool and spa. From £569 for a three-night break with three or four days on the slopes, depending on flight time.igoski.co.uk

Chamonix, France, makes an ideal short break for experts

Club Chalet La Cognée in Les Gets, France The giant Portes du Soleil ski area, with its 650km of pistes, is easy to access from Les Gets, just an hour’s drive from Geneva. Flights are most expensive on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so Ski Weekends offers four days on the slopes, flying out on Thursday, returning Monday, or three days, flying out on Monday and back on Thursday. Lift passes and equipment hire can be organised in advance for added convenience. The three-star Club Chalet La Cognée is a comfortable converted farmhouse that sleeps 10. All bedrooms are en suite, and it’s available for mixed groups or sole occupancy. Weekends from £479, mid-week from £317.skiweekends.com

All inclusive

UCPA in Val Thorens, France Located at a lofty 2,200m at the head of the Belleville Valley, Val Thorens is the most snowsure part of the giant Trois Vallées ski area that offers 600km of pistes. Prices have rocketed here in recent years with the arrival of five-star hotels and some of the finest gourmet dining in the French Alps. However, the resort’s state-funded UCPA residential centre has recently been completely renovated, so if you’re prepared to mix with like-minded French snowsports enthusiasts aged 18 to 39, you can spend a week in Val Thorens at a remarkably low cost. Action Outdoors organises holidays here, with prices including full board, equipment hire, lift pass and tuition or guiding. Rooms sleep four and bathroom facilities are shared. From £534, not including travel.action-outdoors.co.uk

Club Med Resort in Sestriere, Italy The Milky Way ski area spans the Italian frontier with France and includes the resorts of Montgenèvre in France and Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere in Italy. In total there are 400km of mainly intermediate cruising pistes served by 66 lifts. Pragelato is a satellite of Sestriere, developed as a base for the 2006 Turin Olympics. The village is now a new four-star Club Med Resort that offers the full range of children’s clubs. From £1,190 full board, including lift passes, ski/snowboard lessons or a mountain guide. clubmed.co.uk